Dante Moore went deep on the first play of the game and the tone was set immediately.

Behind an incredibly efficient offensive display, the 24th-ranked Bruins closed out nonconference play with a 59-7 win over NC Central to move to 3-0 on the year. Moore hit Kam Brown for 67 yards on the game’s opening play — his third consecutive week with a 60-yard touchdown pass — and that was the start of a 35-0 opening frame that put the game out of reach shortly after it started.

Moore went 8-for-12 for 182 yards and two touchdowns before an early curtain call. The Bruins got five quarterbacks into the game, but it wasn’t really about the pass game.

Chip Kelly has his ground game rolling at the outset of conference play.

Collin Schlee and Anthony Adkins scored their first touchdowns with the Bruins. Adkins led the team with 96 yards rushing yards, and he was one of four backs who topped 60 yards on the ground.

The Bruins closed things out with more rushing yards (404) than NC Central had total yards (245).

Carson Steele had 83 yards and a touchdown on five carries — including a 42-yarder to set up one of Schlee’s two scores. TJ Harden had 66 yards and a score on five carries. Colson Yankoff had 61 yards and a score on six carries. The six rushing touchdowns were the most by a UCLA team in a single game since 2015.

On defense, it was a total team effort. The Bruins had seven tackles for loss. No one player was credited with more than four tackles. Laiatu Latu had an interception return in the first quarter, and Choe Bryant-Strother forced a fumble in the third.

On the nine drives sandwiched between those turnovers, NC Central had nine punts, five three-and-outs, and gained a total of 75 yards on 40 plays (1.9 yards per play).

“The one thing I was impressed with, with our team, was just their approach. They had a great week of training and a great week of practice. I think that’s a sign of maturity,” coach Chip Kelly said after the game. “These guys went out this week, Sunday through Wednesday, trying to get better as football players. There’s a standard that we train at.

“We have continued to train better each week. We were better in San Diego State than against Coastal (Carolina). And our numbers told us that, and our numbers were better this week than during the San Diego State week. They are continuing to grow. They’re continuing to build.”

Bring on conference play.

Up first? UCLA heads to Salt Lake City to face No. 12 Utah (3-0). Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. PT on FOX.